undo goo

I own a hair salon. I've been a stylist for almost 20 years. You're about to get a hair reference, but I think you'll be able to follow along!

There's a product out there called undo-goo. It helps remove buildup off hair, and is great when we're trying to do corrective color. 

It's got a HIGH pH level, which normally isn't that great for the hair, but when used in a controlled way and followed up with the appropriate products, its super effective in correcting stuff and not damaging the hair.

It's a silly name, but for some reason, it stuck in my head for an especially long time. Long enough for me to sit through a Wednesday night service where PJ said something that was similar to "undo goo". 

He said a beautiful message, but because I had goo on the brain, I only vividly remember when he said "outdo good". 

It was kind of the exact opposite of what was stuck like goo in my brain those few weeks. I knew that this was an opportunity for me to really look at the "goo" in my life- mine or that around me- and remove it by doing so much good! 

As I write this, it also makes me think of "goo-gone", do you remember that? You spray this super slippery substance onto the remnants of something sticky, and it breaks it down to reveal the item *hopefully* as good as new. 

What if, when we had a lot of "goo", aka the not-so-great-stuff, happening in our lives, we busted out the goo-gone, which takes the form of good and generous deeds to others? OUTDO GOOD. 

In the middle of writing this, a lot of goo happened all at once. It seemed extra gooey because I woke up with a migraine. And write after I wrote that sentence, a can of seltzer exploded.  🫠

But seriously, in these moments I want to release a little of this pressure that's building inside so quickly.  Kind of like that seltzer can.  Since I can't do that without feeling a lot of guilt and shame, I'm going to outdo good.  I don't want to if I'm being honest, but I know that is the only thing that'll honor God and pull me out of this sticky, yucky feeling.

What is happening, right now, that makes you feel absolutely stuck?

Something with work? Family? Friends? Church? No one is perfect, so it can happen anywhere. But what are you going to do about it? Ugh, what am I  going to do about it?  I'm going to start by saying a quick prayer,  then  listing 10 things I am genuinely and deeply grateful for. The more agitated I am, I find declaring gratitude for deeper things helps more than  smaller, maybe even superficial things I'm grateful for. I'll leave 10 spaces blank so you can list them out now, it'll be worth it, I promise. 

Lord, I don't feel ok right now.  Probably because I'm leaning on  myself rather than You to get through this.  Help me to surrender this to You, and really lay it down at your feet- and leave it there. Open my eyes to see the blessings right in front of me, and remove the illusion that they are anything but.  Soften my heart as I express the gratitude I have for the many blessings I do have, and grant me Your strength to get through this day  in a way that honors and glorifies You!

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YOU are the 1 He left the 99 for. He is thankful for you, let's spend the rest of our days in worship.